Dalit student ‘beaten up for drinking water from principal’s bottle’ in UP’s Bijnor; 3 booked

The police said the 16-year-old victim was present at the party for Class 12 students at Chamandevi Inter College in Sirwasuchand village on Sunday. According to the FIR, the doors of the hall — where the farewell party was being held — were locked after students went in and they were not given water bottles.

“I was feeling thirsty after around an hour and picked up the water bottle in front of me to take a few sips. As I took the water, the principal’s brother and his friend started beating and abusing me with casteist remarks saying that it was the water bottle meant for the principal’s use. They also forced me to leave the hall,” the youth claimed in the complaint.

“As per the Supreme Court ruling, there is no provision of arrest in cases which involve incarceration for less than seven years and in both the sections (including the SC/ST Act) the maximum sentence is five years and a fine. A notice will be served to the principal and two others named in the FIR and they will be interrogated. They will have to appear in court when summoned,” Manoj Kumar Singh, the in-charge of Afzalgarh police station told The Indian Express over phone.

The college principal, however, said that once the farewell programme began, all students were asked to keep their mobile phones with a college employee, but the 16-year-old refused to comply and even made a video of the events during the function. “We asked him not to do so and took his mobile phone. He was neither beaten up nor was he forced to go out of the auditorium where the function was being held. The charges against me are baseless,” Dr Yogendra Kumar claimed.